The Marketing Packaging and Labeling to The customer

The marketing packaging and labeling to the customer. It is at the point when a customer picks up the box to take a closer look at the packaging and label that you have your last chance to convince someone to buy what's inside.

If you didn't put as much care into the design and quality printing of the packaging as you did your outside-the-store marketing campaign, there's a good chance the customer will put the product back on the shelf. And for the person just browsing and not even aware of your marketing campaign, you've lost any chance of someone considering your product unless the packaging projects a compelling invitation to take a second look, and under closer inspection, convinces the shopper that yours is a quality product worth buying.

Marketing always attempts to reach consumers where they are, but product packaging is the only market medium that targets a consumer at a point when they're ready to buy - in the store - and who have already shown an interest in your type of product by walking down the aisle where it's being sold. It could be the aisle that sells lawn and garden items, cereal, pasta, home decorations, power tools, pretty much anything that comes in a package. Even if the product itself is on display, a shopper will check the box to read more details, see images of it in action, find out what it's made of or where it's made.

If the package looks cheap, poorly designed, or shows bad quality in printing, that impression the packaging makes carries over to the product itself in the consumer's mind.

One message in marketing and packaging

Packaging is not separate from marketing. Packaging is marketing, and needs to carry over the same colors and designs you use in your advertising campaign, and on websites, mobile devices and handout brochures, even though each media platform has its own set of design criteria. You don't want the colors on your packaging to be "close enough" to the colors you use elsewhere. Your printer should be expert in packaging and labeling to produce colors true to your marketing design elements.

Yet the color and design must still set it apart from its competitors on the shelf and draw attention from consumers. Packaging designed after the rest of marketing and advertising designs are approved could give you something that works well on a mobile device, but not at all on a store shelf. When packaging is designed as part of a marketing campaign, you may need to adjust for each medium, but key elements and a coherent design theme come through clearly in all of them.

Impulse Buying

Packaging and labeling may be the only message that reaches a consumer. A casual shopper without a list is out to pick up just a few things, and does not see the shopping trip as a mission to be completed as efficiently and economically as possible. On this trip, the consumer is open to cruising the aisles to find anything else he may need - or want.
Is the package for your product waiting for this consumer, set to reel him in? Maybe an advertising campaign reached this consumer, but not enough to drive him to the store. But now that he sees your package, does it click with the ads he's seen before and complete the impulse to pick it up? If it does, you have greatly increased your chance to make a sale.

Quality Printing

None of the design elements will be effective if you don't work with an experienced, well-equipped, quality printer. Someone who's trying to determine the quality of your product will have doubts if the packaging and labeling look cheap, have faded colors, text that doesn't doesn't have sufficient contrast against a background color, type hard to read, or a myriad of other problems that can occur without expert handling.

Business Promotion and Marketing Products

Common step of marketing products for success the business. They want new ideas to promote their products too. This is where innovation in marketing can take place. Many of use also want to capture the attention of clients. If we are a business owner, this is essential. With a good marketing, there is a greater number of clients. Therefore, the more clients there is the better profits there will be. The sales of the company will spell the success of its operations. So in order to have a better profit, one should focus on good marketing. In this case, one can also use promotional items.

What is a promotional item? This is any types of items that will bear the company name. You can find them in every single type of item. Some people will use key chains. Others will be using tumblers and glasses. In other cases, items like a bag or a shirt can be used for promos. In order to capture the brand, one should also use items for marketing. This way, there will be a better scope of spreading your brand name. An item that includes a company name will increase its market share. The name of the company will have better recall among the users.

There are certain advantages in using promo items. The first one is brand recall. We all know that in order to have repeat clients, the name should be remembered. The clients can easily forget a brand name. But if they can have a reminder of some sort, this is easier. An item that bears the company name will be the reminder for people. Therefore, they will easily know what they need to buy in the future. Of course, the product should also be of high quality. Only this way there will be a repeat client

Another advantage of a promo item is the retention. Items like these can bear the brand forever. Unlike with ads on TV and print, they are disposable. With promo items, they can be running for a long time. So this means you can have return of investment at optimum level. With this in place, you can expect to run ad mileage longer. Of course, it will translate to better profits and revenues.

 It is good to use promo items because they are cheaper. If you are planning to put ads on TV and print, they could cost thousands. But with a promo item, the cost will be minimal. This should give you better profits with value difference. The lower your marketing cost is, the better. You can then improve your profits in the long run while benefiting from ads.

It is a good thing that you have many options for marketing. This is done with the use of promo items. If you can find a way to improve your profits, then pursue it. But with the available items.

Interchange Reimbursement Fees

As you may, or may not be aware, each year, typically in April and then again in October, Visa and MasterCard make adjustments to their Interchange Reimbursement fees. If you accept payment for your goods or services, in your business, I assume you understand what "interchange" is. If, however, you don't, then it's time that you find out because they have a direct impact on your bottom-line.

This is especially the time of year for you to pay very close attention to your merchant statements. Typically, there is a section of "notifications" or "messages" that are used to inform you of things relative to your merchant account. I would suggest that you go back and grab maybe your February and certainly your March 2013 statements to see if there are any "alerts" of impending rate increases or fee changes, coming your way. See if there is any mention of rate hikes and make certain you get full of understanding of why and how they will affect your pricing.

You see, when Visa and MasterCard adjust their rates (and when I say "adjust" I mean upwards... of course), those increased costs are passed on to your processor. Then, they have to decide what to do about them: absorb the increases, pass on some of the increases, pass on all of the increases or pass on all of the increases PLUS SOME, to further help their bottom-line and hurt yours. If you're not fully aware of how you are currently priced and how, and if, any or all of the increases are being applied to you, you could be unknowingly paying to much.

If you have an interest in doing so, search for "Visa USA Interchange Reimbursement Fees" and then "MasterCard Interchange Rates". You will be taken to the respective sites where you can begin looking at current rates (understanding them is a whole other issue). If you go right away, they may not have the most current, April 2013, rates posted yet. However, that's a good thing because if you can pull, the October 2012 or even April 2012 rates, you'll have a point of comparison with new rates. While you're on each of these sites, spend some time and browse around. You'll find some helpful educational material relative to industry news and new developments that could be of benefit.

While I'm on the subject of "spring happenings", let me also caution you, or maybe just remind you, that spring typically brings on a surge of "newbie" credit card processing reps. These individuals, unfortunately, hit the streets ill-equipped to really be of any great benefit to you. They get some brief "product/service" type training and very little, if any, industry training. Then they are sent out to pound the pavement and "pitch" their offer. Many may sound enticing enough to get you to make the switch only to find out later on that you are paying higher overall rates or undisclosed fees. Simply, you absolutely need to make sure you are armed with thorough knowledge of this crucial service that you are paying for in your business. Low interest MasterCard interchange.

Career In Banking And Finance Jobs

High ranking profession in a society and build the careers in banking are both lucrative and rewarding, but at the same time are varied and diverse. Before choosing a career in finance, one should take a step back and consider which type of position would suit the individual.

Understanding Banking and Finance Careers

For example, should one apply for a career in retail banking or try for a more lucrative position within a multinational corporate bank? The final decision is an important one. Therefore, we hope this brief yet informative guide will help you find your way. 

Retail Banking

Retail banking represents the branch networks of High Street banks. The entry-level career in this type of banking is the counter teller whose job it is to deliver service with a smile to visiting members of the public. Duties mostly involve routine deposits and withdrawals of funds from personal and business bank accounts, but can include basic advice on various financial products. The qualifications required for this type of position are at least a secondary education and some form of customer service and cash handling experience. Other retail banking positions include personal managers and business managers, usually promoted from the counter staff, whose job it is to open new bank accounts, issue loans and offer advice about financial products including insurance and mortgages. Lastly, we have the bank manager who oversees the branch and its activities. Retail banking jobs do not require university qualifications and so thus are a perfect career choice for less academic individuals.

Investment Banking

Investment banking covers far more specialized financial services, looking after the needs of commercial, industrial and governmental clients. Careers in this field include investment bankers, stockbrokers and financial analysts. Duties consist of the setting up and management of corporate loans, the handling of company acquisitions and mergers and the day to day trading of stocks and shares. To qualify for an investment banking career, one has to boast excellent written and verbal interpersonal skills and have a good academic track record, i.e. A levels, with at least one degree in any subject. Graduate training courses and internships are available, but are in short supply, meaning competition for places is tight. A wise move for those wishing fast-track to high-end finance jobs would be to study for a degree in a related field, such as accountancy, economics or financial planning, and use such a qualification to move into a relevant finance banking career and bright future.

Common Interview Questions and Answers

Common question and answers While every job interview is unique in its own way, most interviews come with a list of similar questions. Some questions are harder to approach and answer than others. Have you ever attended a job interview where the person you're meeting with asks, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" It's a trick question, really. The main point they're weeding through is how long you plan on staying with the company. Some will take this question and spin it to focus directly on them and not the company. This is a big mistake. Set some goals for yourself prior to heading to the interview. The goals you discuss should revolve around the company directly and what you're going to do to help it along.

It's important to know about the company you're going to interview with. The internet is a wealth of knowledge if you decide to use it to your advantage. Most companies have their own website and it's a good idea to understand what they're all about. Find out how long they've been in business and what is currently being practiced. Reading your potential employer's blog is an excellent way to stay on top of what the company is going through and what it practices on a day to day basis.

Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses prior to attending an interview. You're likely to be asked about both. Don't be too hard on yourself but at the same time, don't brag too much either. You'll want to find a fine middle ground that you'll be comfortable with.

Toward the end of an interview, the interviewer is likely to ask you if you have any questions. It's best to come up with something simple that he or she did not cover. This isn't the time to show off or to complain.
 No job is complete until the interviewer asks why you have left your last job. Don't use this time to point the finger and blame anyone at your former employer's office. You don't want to go on and on about how much you hated the mundane tasks are your former job. All jobs come with a job description and you're bound to dislike a handful of the tasks. No job comes with a list of things everyone will be happy with. So keep your answer simple and to the point.

Following up with the interviewer can be a sticky situation. It's a good idea to send an email thanking them for their time. This is a good time to ask any lingering questions you may have forgotten to ask during the interview.

These are just a few tips to take into consideration when heading over to your interview. 

Four Tips To Start Successful Export Business

Successful Export Business started is certainly not an easy task, given all the competition that is out there. Even if you have chosen to start a business in a niche that is not as exploited as others, you still have to face massive competition. Having said that, the main question is: how do you find buyers for export?

If you want to expand your business horizons by increasing the target market and exporting goods all over the world, then selling your products at an international scale can be very rewarding, both financially and professionally. The secret is to find a buyer to whom you can deliver goods and services on a constant basis, as this will generate a continuous flow of cash. Here you will find several hints and tips on how to find buyers for export:

1. Learn How to Advertise Your Product

In the business world, advertising is everything - it can take your business to the peak of success, or it can lead it to failure in several months' time. Despite the fact that advertising does involve an initial investment, you will likely recover all the invested money within 6-12 months.

The media offers your business the visibility and popularity it needs to stand out from the crowd, to differentiate itself from the competition. By advertising your business in an efficient manner, you will not even have to struggle to find buyers - they will eventually come to you, if your business becomes an authority in its field of activity!

2. Get as Many Business Connections as Possible

Business connections are undoubtedly the fastest, cheapest and most efficient way to advertise your business without spending a fortune on marketing services - basically, these connections spread the word about your products and services (which is basically word of mouth marketing). Business connections can raise brand awareness for your business not only from one country to another, but also from one continent to another.

A great idea is to set up partnerships or joint ventures with foreign organizations that know the local buyers - this way, your business will get the visibility it needs. Nonetheless, this involves thorough market research as this is a long-term investment and there is no room for mistakes!

3. Attend Trade Fairs

Attending trade fairs is an almost guaranteed way to draw the attention of potential buyers, as they offer the exporter the opportunity to display products and services in front of a variety of interested customers. However, these trade fairs do require a certain budget and they are usually categorized by the types of products they display: there are electronics fairs, automotive fairs, fairs with products for babies and children and such. Also, attending a fair requires a well-defined marketing strategy that is aimed at the target market.

4. Buying Agents

This should be a last resort option, as buying agents usually do not come cheap (although this is not a general rule!). Basically, these are people who know the market and the buyers, and they advertise your product or service. They act as intermediaries between the supplier and the buyer, and they not only deal with contacting potential buyers.

Trench Work Site, Trench Shoring Equipment

You need to dig a trench at your work site, you will want to make sure that you properly shore up the walls to help promote safety and to ensure that you will not have to re-dig your trench. There are a couple of different trench shoring systems that you can use to help prevent the collapse of your trench walls, and matching the right equipment to the job is a must for safety and efficiency.

One of the easiest trench shore systems to use is hydraulic shoring in which hydraulic pistons are placed between steel plates or hard plywood sheets and then pumped outwards until they exert the proper amount of pressure on the trench walls. You can also find hydraulic trench boxes which are usually steel boxes with hydraulic pistons already attached. The hydraulic shoring system is generally used for temporary trench shoring and can sometimes be rented instead of purchased.

You can also use beam and plate trench shoring systems in which I-beams are driven into the ground to hold the metal plates against the sides of the trench. This method is usually used for larger excavations or over longer periods of time when hydraulics are impractical. For instance, if you need to use the open space in the trench to move equipment and personnel then you will probably not want to have horizontal hydraulic

presses spanning the top and bottom of the trench when a vertically placed beam can keep the walls secure. This method is also used for trenches with walls that are too far apart for most hydraulic pistons to reach.

Both of these trenching shoring systems, as well as other systems, will have their purposes, and the type of job you are doing will determine with method you use to shore your trenches. Since not every job is the same size or has the same requirements, you will want to evaluate each trench for the type of shoring system you will need to use. Make sure that the system you use can handle the weights and pressures applied to it, be safely installed and removed, and can be easily acquired.

You will not want to purchase a system and go to install it, just to find out that it is too big or too small for the job at hand. You can find systems to purchase and to rent, both online and in your local area, and many times these same companies will be able to offer you some advice and training so that you can better choose, install, and use your shoring system correctly and safely.

How to Attract Talent to a Small Business

Your goal is to attract the best talent and it's becoming increasingly difficult to do this. One of the reasons is because job seekers are getting savvy in terms of what they need to do to be noticed and what they need to include on their resumes.

US News and World Report has issued many articles for job seekers on how they can become irresistible to human resources departments. They are told to be likable and to only apply for jobs they are qualified for. While the latter is some of the best advice, few take it. As a result, you are stuck with piles of resumes that have no business being in the pile. If you are still going through resumes the old-fashioned way, you can be there for a very long time.

There are going to be some good resumes in the pile, and you need to locate them sooner than later to actually fill your vacancy in a timely manner. One of the best ways to attract the talent you need is not to tell applicants what they need but to use a new way of going through the resumes.

You have more technology available to you than ever before. One of the emerging technologies is the Applicant Tracking System. This will allow you to search through all of the resumes online in a short period of time. You can search for specific keywords, allowing you to grab hold of resumes from applicants who meet all of your criteria.

Maybe you're looking for a specific type of degree or a certain amount of experience. You can always go through the resumes on your desk one by one. However, when you want the best talent without spending days or even weeks looking for it, you can use a tracking system in order to speed up the process.

You don't have to rely solely on resumes to find out about people, either. With so many different platforms out there, you can tap into a lot of useful information as soon as you know where to look. The applicants are already one step ahead of you. They have several versions of their resume, they're connected on the social media platforms and they are prepared for an interview the moment you call them.

It's easy to know that the job seekers are ready to prove their stuff. The question is, will you be able to find them based upon your current level of technology?

There are plenty of new hiring manager tools out there for you to utilize and these will help you to find more qualified candidates for your open positions

Crowd funding With Your Small Business

The most major investors are still slow to put their money on the line for what very often is a long shot. This doesn't mean, however, that someone with a good idea is completely out of luck. There are still other ways of getting funding for projects, and for those who understand crowd funding, raising this capital becomes much more possible.

What is Crowdfunding?

Crowd funding, in its most basic form, is exactly what it sounds like: funding from a crowd. In the bigger picture, however, there are several aspects to this type of funding that people should understand before engaging in it. People using this method of capital accrual will, instead of seeking one or two huge investors, seek numerous smaller investments from the public at large. This type of financing has been in use since the 17th century when individuals solicited funds from the public in order to have books printed.

Many people know about the numerous websites that currently exist which allow people to start their own crowd funding campaigns. Unfortunately, these are often quite difficult to get off of the ground unless the campaign manages to go viral. In addition, most of these websites take a percentage of the earned capital from a campaign, and as anyone who works within tight margins knows, this can sometimes be detrimental. Most serious entrepreneurs invest in forms of business coaching to learn how to do their own crowd funding without the disadvantages of online sources.

Benefits of Crowdfunding

There are a vast amount of benefits that go along with this types of funding. In fact, they're what make crowd funding websites so popular.

- Market Feedback: A successful campaign will show an individual that there is a market out there for their idea. This is beneficial even when a campaign is unsuccessful since in either scenario, successful or not, a person will know whether they have any footing in the market.

- Market Testing: People who engage in crowd funding often allow those funding them to get early access to content that they're creating. This is a great incentive to provide that will bring in more of the public, but it also will provide valuable feedback from these individuals about how something can be made better.

- Reputation Improvement: An innovative idea will often raise awareness of its creator. This in turn will boost up their reputation and give their upstart or business idea credence. This is difficult, however, with online crowd funding providers, and this is another reason why many simply use business coaching to learn the proper techniques.

Are there Drawbacks?

As with many things in life, there are some potential drawbacks when it comes to this form of capital accrual.

- Public Failure: The biggest aspect of this source of funding is access by the public. This means that everyone will see what happens with a new venture. A project that doesn't get the necessary funding will be seen as a failure, and this could affect an individuals likelihood of securing funding for other projects.

- Public Fear: This method of gaining capital is often highly unregulated. This leads people to fear that their money may be used in a way that's not advertised. The fear of scams turns a good number of people away from crowd funding.

- Intellectual Property Theft: Unfortunately, making an idea available to the public for funding reveals details about the project. This opens the door for theft and plagiarism in some industries.

Crowd funding is an amazing way to turn a good idea into an awe inspiring reality. Even with the economy in its current form, most people are willing to donate a little money to something that they truly believe in. This may not seem like much, but when huge sections of the public may potentially be interested in being part of a project, there's no telling how quickly a person can accelerate their company or get it up and running. Potential entrepreneurs need to know all of their funding potentials.

Taking An Ethics Class With That MBA

Most MBA degrees now require at least one ethics class to graduate, some several more. This radical change is obviously due to the anti-Wall Street motif and "Occupy the Park" protester groups which emerged due to the 2008 economic crash blamed on run-away greed on Wall Street. Of course, it wasn't really that simple and one could say that the government had a big hand in what transpired too, along with real estate speculators. Nevertheless, business schools have responded with ethics classes, and most would say; it's about time.
There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal on February 7, 2013 titled; "Does an 'A' in Ethics Have Any Value? B-Schools Step Up Efforts to Tie Moral Principles to Their Business Programs, But Quantifying Those Virtues Is Tough," by Melissa Koran. Now then, one has to wonder if a student with straight A average in their ethics classes is going to go to work in a corporation purposely looking around and snooping for problems to the point of being a vigilante-type whistle blower before they even understand the ends and outs of the business.

After all, corporations want people to do what they are told, not to think and tell them what to do, at least not until they've become acclimated to the company culture and moved up the ladder a bit to an executive decision making position. See that point? Ethics activists can be dangerous without experience and knowledge, especially if they bring with them any more than a smidgen of academic anti-capitalism mind set with them. There is nothing unethical about making money or making a profit, as our free-market is where buyers and sellers freely partake.

Now then, this brings me to another question, a philosophical one. If corporations want ethical employees so they don't steal or commit fraud, that makes sense, but I doubt they want them doing too much second guessing of the leadership. So maybe the MBA schools should first teach personal ethics to the students, and corporate pragmatism (within reason) to them before they graduate.

How about a case in point? Remember that kid working for the military who downloaded information to Wiki Leaks? Well, he thought he was doing what he believed to be ethical, but he disobeyed his orders and jeopardized confidential sources. The amount of damage done and operational type intelligence lost was unforgivable.

Now then, I ask if our left-leaning academia in all their agenda driven exploits understands the realities here, and if the corporations or even the government or military really want "holier than now" vigilantes amongst their ranks, new up-and-coming employees who still may be a little naive.

Cleaning Business Typically And Successfully

Started cleaning business in your local area, a cleaning business typically gives you more of an opportunity to be successful. After all, many companies and families hire out the cleaning to outside resources, as they do not have the time or the desire to take care of it on their own. If you do a good job and market yourself properly, you might be surprised with how quickly you're able to build such a business and how much success you are going to see. What are some of the ways that you can market your business which will have an impact on your success?

One thing that you want to consider is having some form of advertising in your local area. This could include advertising in the local newspaper or perhaps running television ads in the off hours. More than likely, however, these types of advertising techniques are not going to really provide you with the business that you need. An ad in the Yellow Pages, however, is something that will often have an impact. Although Yellow Pages have become increasingly obsolete in recent years, there are still many businesses that would rather pick up a book and thumb through the Yellow Pages than search on the Internet. Make sure that you have a presence in the Yellow Pages so that you have a fresh source of customers.

Depending upon the type of cleaning business that you operate, you may also want to consider distributing some flayers in your local area. In some cases, this is going to be effective if you do it from one door to another but make sure that you do not put them in the mailboxes, unless you mail them. If you are offering some specific type of service that would be of benefit to almost anyone, such as dryer vent cleaning, you may benefit by putting your business card on windshields or in the side window of a car. You can hire college students or high school students to do this for a reasonable price.

Do not underestimate the knowledge that you are able to get about local advertising from the companies that provide you with janitor supplies, such as the garbage can liner that you are using. They are likely familiar with many different cleaning businesses in your local area and can often give you the inside track on what needs to be done to effectively advertise your business. Listen to what they have to say and then incorporate it into your advertising practices.

Finally, make sure that you have an Internet presence and use it effectively. Run some advertising on the search engines and make sure that your web page is optimized so that it also comes up for local listings. It is even possible for you to find customers by having a Facebook page and building relationships with those who may have an interest in the cleaning services that you are offering.

Conversation Call Center Agent

You focus on the quality, the quantity and the spirit of your service. In other words you know your customers want it good, fast and they want to feel important.


Among the several factors that a call center executive might explore in order to optimize the return on her investment is the service level goal. The higher the service level the higher the investment. You already know this, and you have noticed that the higher it is the more your agents must find themselves sitting idle waiting for calls. Not exactly the kind of picture you want to see.

Realizing your agents are having more conversations with their colleagues than with your customers, you may wonder about reducing the number of agents. Yet you know reducing the number of agents is tightly connected to the level of service you offer your customers hence the "law" of Occupancy Rate: The busier your agents (high occupancy) the lower your speed of answer, and the more idle time your agents have (low occupancy) the higher the speed of answer.

In attempts to look for new ways to cut operating expenses you question if your customers would accept a lower response time?

How much lower can your service time be before your customers start to complain or move to the competition?

Before you answer the question "How low can you go", I recommend you re-acquaint yourself with the "law" of Occupancy rate. In effect, the question of how much waiting your customers might be willing to accept should be balanced with the question of how busy you want your agents to be.

Remember, the busier your agents are the lower your service level will be. In effect, you will find the right target goal when you determine your occupancy rate goal.

Besides the obvious effect on customers, here are some other effects you will need to consider when setting an occupancy rate goal:

    When agents find themselves overwhelmed by calls, they can increase their after-call work to slow done their pace which will cancel out any savings you may have hoped for in reducing your staffing levels.
  
Agents might choose other jobs within your company, or worst, they might go to the competition both of which will cancel out your savings by increasing your hiring costs.
  
Eventually it will become harder to attract and retain good people.
    Agents who choose to stay might become disgruntled and this attitude might reflect on the kind of service your customers receive.

The Recipe:
Set your goal by determining your Occupancy Rate goal.Service levels are often worded as follows: x % calls answered within y seconds (eg. 80% calls answered within 20 seconds). Occupancy Rate is better described by the formula (Total Logged In Time - Total Idle Time) divided by Total Logged In Time. Total Logged In Time is also known as Staffed Time, meaning the total hours all agents were signed in the phone system in order to take calls. This may vary according to your telephone system.

After you have set an Occupancy Rate goal, you can then determine the equivalent Service Level goal by performing an analysis based on historical data for your call center. Correlate the past Occupancy Rate with the Service Level achieved. You will look for instances where the new Occupancy rate goal was achieved and you will collect the corresponding Service Level data wherein you will observe a pattern which will serve as your new Service Level target.

Conclusion
When you set your service level by determining the right occupancy rate, you gain on all fronts. The right occupancy rate becomes a competitive edge: you will attract the best employees because you are offering the better working conditions. Better employees deliver superior service ergo you will attract and keep more customers. Your agents are happy and your customers are happy.

Organization System And Organized Coach

Organization system, Kaizen (Japanese for "continuous improvement") is a strong focus of many large corporations today because they realize that small changes that shave seconds off of a process can lead to huge savings in the long run.
As a new coach, you can save a ton of time by setting your systems up in the most efficient way possible. A process that wastes just 5 minutes can add up to hours pretty quickly!

Here's an example: I used to work with a friend who kept all his emails in his inbox and never filed them in separate folders. There were several times when I'd go over to his desk and our conversation would steer toward a topic that required us to reference a recent email and I'd just sit there in amazement as I'd watch him re-sort his email a dozen times until he finally found the email (usually took at least 5 minutes - sometimes longer!). Search for 12 emails and there's a full hour wasted!

Now I'm sure you're probably much more organized than my friend but I mention this story to illustrate a point. No matter how organized you are, your organization systems will be tested when you start your coaching business. I always felt as though I was highly organized until I opened up the flood gates of information that I was exposed to as I started my coaching business.

My "business" folder quickly grew into about a dozen different sub-folders (marketing, procedures, referrals, website, etc... ). Each time I'd expand my system, it took quite a bit of time to re-organize all my materials and I realized that if I had taken the time up front to create one effective folder system in both my email system and on my computer, I could have saved quite a bit of time.

In the Coaches First Year coaching program I lay out a template you can use but here are some of the main points you'll want to consider as you set up a coaching business.

    Create Email and Computer Folders: As you setup your coaching business, you will be coordinating every aspect of your business. Create a separate folder for each area you come across and use them to store emails, notes and documents.

    Create a "Notes" folder: You're going to read and learn a lot about business ESPECIALLY during your first year. I found it tremendously helpful to keep a separate "Notes" folder with a different blank word document for each learning category. As you learn a new topic or come across a new resource, I jot it down in the corresponding note file.

    Create a folder to store all your electronic receipts for business expenses: This one is HUGE! You never know when the tax man will come around and ask you to justify some random "Amazon" business expense. I recommend creating a separate folder for each expense category I have in Quick books (the software I use for my bookkeeping)

    Create a Swipe File: A Swipe file is a folder you use to store marketing materials and emails you come across that you like or you find to be particularly effective. When one of the "Guru's" you follow sends you an email for their new coaching program, move it to your Swipe file so you can follow a similar process when you're ready to roll out your new coaching program.
    Create a "To Read" folder: This one was HUGE for me. I'm on so many distribution lists. I follow all the great coaches and business experts out there who regularly pump out fantastic content and I quickly got to the point where I'd stop what I was doing every time I'd receive one of their emails. Continuously learning is great, but not if you stop taking actions that grow your business. By creating a separate folder (in Drop box) I was able to proactively put controls in place that would allow me to set specific times to focus on my business, and other times to read that content. Just this one strategy boosted my productivity exponentially!!! And since I saved the folders in Drop box, I'm able to read them on my iPad or iPhone whenever I'm waiting in line, eating lunch, or sitting in the waiting room when I'm getting an oil change!

    Create a folder with links to useful tools: I can guarantee you'll need to solve a problem as you start your coaching business. Here's how the situation will likely play out: You're adding your logo to your website and your logo doesn't quite fit in the allotted space. You Google "how to re size your logo" and after 15 minutes of reading the top 5 search results, you finally come across a good free online tool that does the trick. 6 months later you run into a similar situation and have to go through the process again. That 15 minutes can be saved if you had just saved the link to that tool in a separate document.

    Create a folder for your procedures and regularly update them: For example, you write a blog post and then tweet it and add it to Facebook. That's all well and good but did you know there are dozens of other free resources you can use to post your blog post for free? If you have a document with a step-by-step process with links to each article submission site, you can follow a quick and easy procedure to maximize the value of that blog post while increasing your reach among your target market as well as your SEO! (This is one of the tools I've created for you in the blogging module of the Coach's First Year program).

When you take the time to setup effective storage folders up front, you'll minimize the time you spend searching for an old email or valuable reference.

Your business will grow! As it does, your current systems will be tested. Don't wait until you're forced to change reactively. Plan ahead, create systems that support growth.

Home Builders - Build Your Dream Home

You have finally pooled in the resources and capital to build your dream home, perhaps the only step left between you and realizing your dream is finding a contractor. Building one-of-the-kind home is a dream cherished by many, so in all probability it is going to be the single most important investment decision in your life. There are numerous minuscule details that need to be finalised; from deciding the floor plan and outlining the exterior to deciding on a colour theme and determining the budget. Listed below are some tips that will ease you through the process.

Factors to consider

Before you start with the project, you need to do some groundwork. Outlining the basics, will help you save valuable time, effort and money.

Start with the budget; determine the amount that you can afford to spend on the project. Before you make any foray, it is a good idea to appraise the value of the property. Synchronize your budget with the market prices, so that you do not end up spending more than the estimated market price. There is a good chance you will require to take construction loans to shoulder the expenses. Irrespective of the case, make sure you adhere to the chalked out budget and do not spend a farthing more.

You need to have understanding about the materials used in construction. Always buy branded quality materials that is certified and quality tested. Steer clear from dubious sources that offers substandard quality products at fraction of the market prices. Remember quality of the products used will eventually determine the sturdiness of the building construction.


Other than that, you also need to take into account the available space, desired expectations, feasibility of the project and more.

Benefit from hiring homebuilders

You might have thought of a thousand different ideas for your home, but puzzled as to how to transform them to reality. This is where homebuilders come into the picture. A homebuilder will have the expertise, knowledge, artistic vision, and cutting edge technology required to transform your vision into reality. From initial conceptualization and planning to designing and execution, the expert will take care of every small detail. The experts will walk you through the process, systematically ensuring nothing is overlooked during the planning stages. With the help of homebuilders, you will also be saving exorbitant sums of money in construction.

What to look for in homebuilders

Selecting the best homebuilders should always top your priority list. With market being inundated with a bewildering array of builders, it is no easy task to find one reliable service that is on par with your expectations. Go with the time-tested rules; check for the company's experience and reputation, verify licensing, and assess if the builder has any experience in dealing with projects of the scale that your project will demand. One sure fire way to assess the credibility of the company is by checking the contractor's records from local builders associating or crosschecking existing client's testimonials.

It is advisable to get bids from multiple competitive sources and compare bids to make sure you get value for your money invested.

Maybe You Feel Confused Life Priorities

You may ponder the complexities and maybe even some chaos in your life.You might struggle to figure out what's next. Maybe you feel confused at times about which way to go. Have you thought about setting your life priorities to make your life easier? Have you ever thought of Life Coaching to achieve your life's goals?

When you're struggling to determine what's important to you, it's hard to make decisions.

What will you do next? Where will you go for the evening? Who will you choose to pass the time with?

Feeling torn between two or more people, places and things is common if you haven't yet identified your priorities. After all, when you consider everything and everyone in your life as all-equal in terms of their "level" of importance, it's going to be tough to choose what to do next.

Setting your life priorities is a way of identifying what's most important to you. Once you determine your priorities, you'll be pleased with the ease of making decisions and the serenity that comes with knowing you did the right thing.

Establishing priorities also gives you a clearer focus on how to allot your time. If you allot the bulk of your time to doing what's most important with the most important people in your life, you'll feel more fulfilled and satisfied with your life experiences.

Common Life Priorities

What might your priorities be? The possibilities are endless. In the list below, you'll find many common priorities in no particular order. Feel free to use the list as inspiration to help you figure out your own priorities.

Family
Finances
Friends
Extended family
Work
Hobbies
Personal appearance
Health and physical exercise/activities
Nutritious eating
"Alone-time" with partner
Quality time with the children
Playing games on the Internet
Talking on the phone
Watching television

Example of a "Prioritized" Listing of Life Priorities

The whole idea of setting priorities is to put the many elements of your life into an order, with those that are most important to you at the top. Knowing your highest priority on the list is necessary in order to make focused, wise decisions that are right for you.

Consider this next list, which is prioritized, as an example of some one's life priorities (in order).

Family
Alone-time with partner
Work
Health and physical exercise
Nutritious eating
Friends
Watching television
Personal appearance
Hobbies - movies and reading

Coming Up With Your Own Priorities

Setting your priorities in life may take time and effort. However, taking the time to reflect on your day-to-day life and determine what's on the top of your list will make your life so much easier. Once your priorities are clear to you, decisions on how to spend your time and with who will be a cinch.

Engaging in this exercise of figuring out your priorities might reveal some things that shock or surprise you.

For example, you might realize that you're spending most of your time hanging out with friends even though you feel that your family is more important. Or you aren't taking as much care with your kids as you thought you were.

Regardless of what you discover that you weren't expecting, setting your priorities now will help you limit or even remove the less-important elements of your life and enable you to focus more fully on what means the most to you.

You can live more joyfully by setting your life priorities. Knowing what's important to you and devoting your time to those things at the top of your list will ensure you experience an enriched and fulfilled life.

Comes To Working Online Jobs

When it comes to working online, it's going to be very hard to prove your skills and therefore getting your first job can be really challenging and it's a daunting task.

Therefore, if you're planning on working online, it would be wise to build some sort of portfolio before you begin applying as you'd only get rejections which in turn would dampen your spirits and in the long run you would give up.

You could use a search engine in order to find the job of your dreams or you could just sign up at a few websites which would help you find the right clients and jobs. There are plenty of things that you would need to keep in mind when searching for a job online and some of them include:
Confine your search to a locality

If you're just searching for a job online rather than working online you would need to choose a locality to work in. Therefore, the first step in that case would be limiting your search to a fixed area.

Pick a certain niche

These days everyone has a lot of skill and there are plenty of jobs that you would be able to complete successfully. However, when you're searching for a job it would be wise to pick the niches that you've got the most experience in as this would be

the easiest category to get your first job

Once you've gained the necessary exposure and feedback you would find it easier to move into other lines of work as you've already got a small client base.

Don't bother paying a fee

When searching for a job you may come across a few sites that ask you to pay a fee in order to sign up and post your proposals. There are just a few legit sites that charge you, most of them have both free and premium options.

However, if you're going to have to pay an upfront fee it would be wise to check out reviews of the site in order to make sure that it is legit.

Boast about your experience

If you've got prior experience either working online or offline boast of it in your resume as this is going to help you out a lot.